Coin operated switch mechanism



April 26, 1960 H. B. STONER ETAL 2,934,191

com OPERATED SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Aug. 18, 1954 m 31 fi zze INVENTORS. flame) 5. 5227/15)? BY \IDw/N B41991.

' types of coin controlled machines.

United States atent C com OPERATED SWITCH MECHANISM Harry 3. Starter and Edwin Parre, Aurora, llL, assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Vendo Company, Kam sas City, Mo, a corporation of Missouri Application August 18, 1954, Serial No. 450,706

9 Claims. (Cl. 194-9) This invention relates to coin operated electrical switch mechanisms for use in vending machines and similar coin controlled devices.

Switch mechanisms of the type which are operated by a coin are well-known in the art. These mechanisms generally comprise a conduit through which the coin travels after the coin has been accepted by a coin rejector device. A switch is provided with a movable actuating arm projecting into the interior of the coin conduit and in the path of the coin. As the coin passes through the conduit, it strikes the switch actuating arm and pivots the latter to actuate the switch which then closes suitable electrical circuits to energize one or more electrical components such as relays or solenoids, thereby initiating the cycle of operation of the vending machine.

These prior switch mechanisms, although efficient and practical for some purposes, involve a major defect and disadvantage which prevents their utilization with many That is, immediately after the coin has moved out of contact with the switch actuating arm, the arm is permitted to snap back to its initial position. Thus the switch is maintained closed or actuated for only a relatively short time interval during which the coin is in actual engagement with the switch actuating arm. This short time interval is, for many vending machines and other coin controlled devices, insufficient to energize effectively the electrical relay components that commence the cycle of operation of the machine.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a switch mechanism of the character described wherein the switch arm is maintained in its closed or actuated position for a longer time interval than has here- ,tofore been provided by switch mechanisms of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel delay mechanism for a conventional micro-switch to keep the switch actuating arm of the latter in its actuated position for a predetermined period after the coin has dropped out of engagement with the arm.

A further object is to provide a switch delay mechanism of the character described and comprising a novel retaining element adapted to be engaged by the coin after the coin has moved out of engagement with the switch arm, the coin thus moving the retaining element into engagement with the switch arm to hold the latter in its actuated position after the coin has dropped out of'contact with the arm.

Still another object is to provide a novel switch mechanism of the character described which-will accomplish the above objects and yet be simple and economical to manufacture and maintain and which will be dependable, durable and foolproof in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are inherent in the structure as claimed and disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the detailed description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodimerit of a switch mechanism in accordance with the present invention, the switch mechanism being shown mounted on the lower end of a conventional coin rejector device;

Fig.- 2 is a schematic circuit diagram showing how the switch may be connected to electrical components, such as a relay and a solenoid, to control the operation thereof;

3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the switch mechanism and is similar to Fig. 1 except that it shows the coin about to move out of engagement with the switch actuating arm and about to pivot the arm retaining member; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view similar to Figs. 1 and 4 and shows the coin dropping from the switch arm having a coinpassageway 13 formed by a front wall 14,

a rear wall 15 spaced from the wall 14- and downwardlyconverging side walls 16, 17. The coin, indicated by the reference numeral 10, is permitted to drop down to the lower open discharge end 18 of the passageway 13 after the coin 10 has been accepted by the usual mechanism (not shown) of the coin rejector device 12.

The switch mechanism 11 comprises a planar mounting plate 1? having at the right-hand end thereof an upwardly projecting flange 20 secured by a pair of screws 21 to a wall portion 22 of the coin rejector device 12.

A coin conduit member, indicated generally by the reference numeral 23, is provided with a planar flange portion 24 lying in abutting relation against the left-hand portion of the mounting plate 19. Integral with the flange portion 24 along the right-hand edge thereof and extending outwardly therefrom is a planar web section 25 lying in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane of the mounting plate 19.

The conduit member 23 further comprises a front or outer wall 26 and a rear or inner wall 27 extending parjoined at its right-hand edge (as viewed in Fig. 1) to the right-hand edge of the outer wall 26 by an end wall 28.

The conduit walls 26, 27 are provided with aligned slots or openings 29, 30 in intermediate areas thereof. The walls 26, 27 are further provided at their lower righthand corners with aligned recesses or openings 31, 32. The function of the slots 29, 3t and recesses 31, 32 will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Fixedly mounted on the planar flange portion 24 of the conduit member 23 is a switch indicated generally by the reference numeral 33. The switch 33 may be of any suitable construction, such as a conventional micro-switch, and is provided with an actuating arm 34 secured at one end to a pivotally mounted pin 35, whereby the arm 34 may oscillate upwardly anddownwardly about the horizontal axis of the pin 35. The opposite end of arm 34 is provided with an inwardly extending coin engaging detent portion 36 which projects horizontally through the slots 29,30 so as to extend across the coin passageway or conduit 23a formed by the coin conduit walls 26, 27.

The switch 33 is secured to the mounting plate 19 by a pair of screws 37, 38 which also extend through suitable aligned apertures provided in the planar flange portion 24 of conduit member 23 so as to retain the latter in assembled relation on the mounting plate 19 together with the switch 33.

Each of the slots 29, 30 in the walls 26, 27 are provided with arcuate edges 39, 40 which preferably are segments of circles with centers at the axis of pin 35. The other two edges 41, 42 of each of the siots 29, 36 extend radially with respect to the axis of pin 35. It will thus be seen that the arm 34 is free to pivot from its initial horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 to its extreme inclined actuated position shown in Fig. 4. However, arm 34 is normally maintained in its horizontal initial position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring indicated schematically in Fig. 2 by the reference numeral 43.

The switch 33 comprises three electrical terminals 44, 45, 46. The latter are adapted to be connected by suitable leads to the electrical components of the circuit to be controlled by the switch 33, and the switch 33 may be employed to control various types of electrical circuit components of many different forms of electrically-actuated coin-operated vending devices or similar machines. For purposes of illustration there is disclosed in Fig. 2 a schematic circuit diagram showing the switch 33 connectedto control the energization of a relay 47 and a solenoid 48. A lead 49 extends from terminal 46 of switch 33 to one end of the coil of solenoid 48. The opposite end of the coil of solenoid 43 is connected by a lead 50 to the electrical circuit (not shown) of the vending machine or similar device. The terminal 45 is connected by a lead 51 to one end of the coil of the relay 47, the opposite end of the coil of relay 47 being connected by a lead 52 to the lead 50. Terminal 44 of switch 33 is connected by a lead 53 to said vending machine control circuit.

Although the switch 33 in actual practice is preferably of the micro-switch type having a well-known toggle mechanism for closing and opening the contacts thereof in response to swinging movement of the actuating arm 34, for purposes of clarity and simplification in illustra tion the switch 33 is shown in Fig. 2 as comprising merely a pair of stationary contacts 54- and 55 which are adapted to be alternatively engaged by a contact 56 on one end of a contact arm 57. The opposite end of the latter is shown fixed to the rotatably mounted pivot pin 35. It will thus be seen that the spring 43 urges the contact arm 57 about the axis of pin 35 to cause the contact 56 to engage the contact 54. When the switch actuating arm 34 has been pivoted downwardly by engagement with the coin toward the actuated position shown in Fig. 4, the pivot pin 35 will be rotated clockwise as shown in the drawing to cause the contact arm 57 to rotate in a clockwise direction to bring the contact 56 out of engagement 'with the contact 54 and into engagement with the contact 55.

It will thus be seen that when the switch actuating arm 34 is in its initial horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 before engagement by the coin 10, contact 56 will be in engagement with contact 54 so as to establish an energizing circuit to relay 47 through lead 53, terminal 44, lead 58, contact arm 57, contact 56, contact 54, lead 59, terminal 45, lead 51, relay 47, lead 52 and lead 50. When the switch actuating arm 34 has been moved downwardly by the coin 19 to its inclined actuated position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, contact 56 of contact arm 57 will engage the other contact 55 to establish an energizing circuit to solenoid 48 through lead 53, terminal 44, lead 58, contact arm 57, contact 56, contact 55, lead 6%, terminal 46, lead 49, solenoid 48 and lead 56. That is, before the switch mechanism If. is actuated by the coin 10, relay 47 is energized, whereas after switch mechanism 11 has been actuated by coin 10, relay 47 is de-energized and 4 solenoid 48 is energized for a time interval during which the switch arm 34 is maintined in a downwardly inclined or actuated position. The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is merely illustrative of one of the many uses to which the switch mechanism 11 may be applied.

Switch terminal 44 is connected by a lead 58 to pivot pin 35 which in turn is in electrically conducting relation to the contact arm 57. The latter is made of copper, steel or similar conductive metal. Switch terminal 45 is connected by a lead 59 to contact 54 and switch terminal 46 is connected by a lead 60 to the other contact 55.

As thus far described in detail, the switch mechanism 11 is somewhat conventional in structure. It will be obvious that if a coin 10 were to drop from the lower open end 18 of the coin passageway 13 of rejector device 12 and through the coin conduit 23a of switch mechanism 11, the structure as thus far described in detail would operate in the following manner. The coin 10 would move the arm 34 downwardly to its actuated position as the coin 10 passes from its position shown in Fig. 1 to its position shown in Fig. 4. Immediately after the coin 10 were to disengage the actuating arm 34, the latter would be free to spring back to its initial position. This would result in the arm 34 remaining in its actuated position for only a relatively short time interval so as to cause solenoid 48 to be energized and relay 47 to be de-energized for only this short time interval. In many different types of vending machine circuits with which the switch mechanism of the present invention is to be employed, the switch 33 would thus be maintained actuated for too short a period to enable the solenoid 48 to be sufficiently energized in order to fulfill its function in the control circuit of the vending machine so as to enable the latter to operate properly in its intended manner.

In order to increase the time interval during which the switch 33 is maintained actuated, the switch 11 is provided with the novel delay mechanism 61 now to be described. The delay mechanism 61 comprises a pivot shaft 62 rotatably mounted within suitable aligned apertures provided in the conduit walls 26, 27 adjacent the lower edges of the latter. The inner end of the shaft 62 has an enlarged head or shoulder 63 to prevent outward axial displacement of the shaft 62. A member 64 is secured at its upper end to the shaft 62 outwardly of the conduit wall 26. The opposite lower end of member 64 is provided with a weight 65.

Also secured to the outer end of shaft 62 is an integra piece of wire indicated generally at 66 and having an intermediate portion wound around the outer end of shaft 62. The wire 66 comprises a portion 67 at the outer end of which is a bent transverse portion 68 which projects horizontally inwardly through the recesses 31,. 32/

formed in the conduit walls 26, 27. The portion 68 thus extends transversely across the interior of coin conduit 23a, for a purpose to be described below.

The wire 66 further comprises a portion 69 extending angularly with respect to portion 67 and secured, as by solder or welding, to a projecting nose portion 70 formed on the upper end of member 64. The outer end of wire portion 69 is formed integral with an arcuate portion 71. The latter is in the form of a segment of a circle having its center coincident with the axis of rotation of shaft 62.

As best seen in the Fig. 3, the transverse wire portion 68 extends horizontally across the interior of the coin conduit or passageway 23a and serves as a coin contacting detent or means for pivoting the entire delay structure 61 comprising member 64 and wire 66 about the axis of pivot pin or shaft 62. That is, the coin 10 will move downwardly under the influence of gravity through the coin passageway 23a and will abut the contacting wire detent 68 so as to pivot the delay structure 61 in a clockwise direction from its initial inoperative position shown in Fig. 1 toward its operative positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The arcuate wire portion 71 serves as a retaining means for holding the actuating arm 34 in its actuated position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the coin falls downwardly through the coin passageway 23a, it will first strike the coin engaging detent portion 36 of the actuating arm 34 so as to pivot the latter downwardly until the coin 10 reaches theposition shown in Fig. 4. The coin 10 will then strike the coin contacting ,detent 68 so as to pivot the delay structure 61 in clockwise direction and thereby move the arcuate retainer element 71 over the detent 36. When the coin 10 releases the detent '36 of the arm 34, the latter is urged upwardly by the spring 43 toward its initial position but is prevented from moving to said position by the arcuate retainer 71. It will thus be seen that the retainer 71 is hooked over the detent portion 36 of arm 34 to maintain the latter in its actuated position until the coin 10 has dropped free of the coin contacting detent 68. This allows the weight 65 to pivot the delay structure 61 back toward its initial position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the retainer 71 will be disengaged from the coin engaging detent 36 of actuating arm 34. The actuating arm 34 is then free to be snapped back to its initial position by the spring 43.

It will thus be seen that the switch delay mechanism 61 functions to delay or prolong the time interval during which the actuating arm 34 is maintained in its actuated position. This delay period will extend throughout the time interval that it takes the structure 61 to pivot first clockwise from a position at which the coin 10 disengages the switch arm 34 to the extreme operative position of structure 61 shown in Fig. 5 and then counterclockwise from said extreme operative position of structure 61 shown in Fig. 5 to its initial position shown in Fig. 1. During this counter-clockwise pivotal movement, the coin engaging detent 36 of actuating arm 34 will ride along the undersurface of the arcuate retaining wire portion 71 until the free end of the latter is reached. The extent of this time delay interval may be controlled by varying the length of the arcuate retainer 71 or by varying the size or eccentricity of the weight member 65.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment shown in the drawing and described in detail above is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may take in practice without departing from the scope thereof as delineated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A coin operated switch mechanism comprising coin conduit means having a passageway for a coin, a switch having an actuating arm movable to actuate the switch, said actuating arm having a coin engaging portion projecting into said passageway for engagement by a coin passing therethrough so as to cause the arm to be moved by the coin from a first position to a second position, spring means urging the arm toward the first position, a switch delay structure, means pivotally mounting said structure for oscillatory movement from an inoperative position to an operative position and then back to said inoperative position, means urging said structure toward the inoperative position, said delay structure including coin contacting means integral therewith and extending into said passageway for pivoting the structure to said operative position in response to engagement of said coin contacting means with a coin in said passageway, said delay structure further including arm retaining means for holding said actuating arm in said second position when said delay structure is in said operative position.

2. A coin operated switch mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said arm retaining means comprises an arcuate element engageable with said coin engaging portion of the actuating arm.

3. A coin operated switch mechanism as recited in claim 2 wherein said arcuate element is in the form of a circular segment having its center approximately coincident with the pivotal axis of said delay structure.

4. A coin operated switch mechanism comprising coin conduit means including a plurality of walls forming a passageway for a coin to move downwardly therein under the influence of gravity, one of said walls having a slot and an opening therethrough, an electrical switch having an actuating arm movable to actuate the switch, said actuating arm having a coin engaging portion projecting through said slot into said passageway for engagement by a coin passing downwardly therethrough so as to cause the arm to be moved by the coin from a first position to a second position, means urging the arm toward the first position, a switch delay structure, means pivotally mounting said structure for oscillatory movement from an inoperative position to an operative position and back again to said inoperative position, means urging said structure toward the inoperative position, said delay structure including coin contacting means projecting through said opening into said passageway for pivoting said structure to said operative position in response to engagement with a coin, said delay structure further including arm retaining means for holding said actuating arm in said second position when said structure is in said operative position.

5. A coin operated switch mechanism comprising a downwardly extending coin conduit, an electrical switch having an actuating arm rotatable about a horizontal axis to either an initial horizontal position or to a downwardly inclined actuated position, said arm including a coin engaging portion extending into said conduit whereby a coin passing downwardly therethrough under the influence of gravity will engage said portion and move said arm to said actuated position, means urging said actuating arm to said initial position thereof, and a switch delay means including a member, means mounting the member for rotatable movement about a horizontal axis, a weight on said member eccentric to said last-recited axis for urging said member toward a first position, a coin contacting element on said member and projecting into said conduit whereby a coin passing downwardly therethrough under the influence of gravity will engage said contacting element and rotate said member to a second position against the action of said weight, and a retaining element on said member and extending over said coin engaging portion of the arm, when the latter is in its actuated position and the member is in its second position, to retain the arm in said actuated inclined position.

6. A coin operated switch mechanism as recitedin claim 5 wherein said retaining element is arcuate and has a center of curvature approximately coincident with said last-recited axis of rotation.

7. A coin operated switch mechanism comprising coin conduit means having a passageway for a coin, a microswitch having an actuating arm, said actuating arm having a coin engaging portion projecting into said passageway for engagement by a coin passing therethrough so as to cause the arm to be moved by the coin from a first position to a second position, spring means urging the arm toward the first position, a switch delay structure, means mounting said structure for pivotal movement from an inoperative position to an operative position, a weight urging said structure toward the inoperative position, said delay structure including a coin contacting wire element extending into said passageway for pivoting the structure to said operative position in response to engagement with a coin in said passageway, said delay structure further including an arm retaining wire element for holding said actuating arm in said second position when said delay structure is in said operative position.

8. A switch mechanism as recited in claim 7 wherein said arm retaining wire element is of arcuate configuration with a center of curvature approximately coincident with the pivotal axis of said delay structure.

9. A coin operated switch mechanism comprising coin conduit means having a passageway for a coin, a switch having an actuating arm, said actuating arm having a coin engaging portion projecting into said passageway for engagement by a coin passing therethrough so as to cause '2 8 the arm to be moved by the coin from a first position to eluding an 'arm retaining element for holding said actuata second position, means urging the arm toward the first ing arm in said second position when said delay structure position, a switch delay structure, means pivotally mountis in said operative position. ing said structure for voscillatory movement between an inoperative position and an operative position, means urg- 5 References Cited in the file of this patent iug said structure toward the inoperative position, said delay structure including a coin contacting element ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tending into said passageway for pivoting the structure to 2,022,110 Erbe Nov. 26, 1935 said operative position in response to engagement with a 2,442,174 May May 25, 1948 coin in said passageway, said delay structure further im 10 2,647,608 Dahlberg et al. Aug. 4, 1953 

